Editor's note: Cazenovia town officials took two steps Monday night to halt the spread of invasive Eurasian watermilfoil -- and also heard from residents who submitted a 250-signature petition wanting stricter policies concerning use of the village boat launch on Cazenovia Lake.
By Alaina Potrikus
Staff writer
As local leaders move fast to halt the spread of invasive Eurasian watermilfoil in Cazenovia Lake, residents are clamoring for stricter regulations for boaters using the village's public launch.

The weed has spread aggressively in the 1,100-acre lake since the 1990s, clogging boat propellers, sullying conditions in swimming areas and surrounding docks.

In mid-November, local leaders met with environmental experts for a daylong summit on how to control the milfoil explosion, which residents and officials alike say was stronger than ever this past summer. The meeting included presentations on how other Upstate lakes have handled the invasive species - including pulling up the plant by its roots on Skaneateles Lake and introducing milfoil weevils to eat the weeds in Lewis County's Lake Bonaparte.

On Monday night, the Cazenovia Town Board passed two measures aimed at short-term remediation and long-term protection.

The board first called for a public hearing on a local law banning the use of phosphorus in fertilizer, to help manage the amount of runoff that may be exacerbating the weed problem.

The law was fashioned after similar regulations in Wisconsin's Lake Country. It would be the first such law in Madison County, giving homeowners in the lake watershed a share of the responsibility for the health of the lake.

"We all see the consequences of over-enrichment of

the lake," said Cazenovia Supervisor Liz Moran. "They were in front of us all summer long."

The board also took a more immediate step in the restoration process, agreeing to apply for a state permit to use the pesticide Renovate in sections of the lake this spring. The chemical has been successful in killing milfoil in Saratoga Lake and several of the Finger Lakes.

A similar measure was passed by village leaders last week and will be considered when the Cazenovia Lake Association meets tonight.

The boat launch issue
While elected officials focused on strategies to eradicate the weeds, local residents renewed their fight for stricter regulations at the public launch at Lakeside Park. At Monday's meeting, Burlingame Road resident Sarah Webster presented Town Board members with a petition signed by more than 250 residents, which calls for officials to re-examine policies that opened the lake to more boaters this summer.

"We believe that the expanded village launch policy has caused, and will increasingly cause, profound and irreversible damage to Cazenovia Lake and its environs," reads the petition, which calls for revocation of the public launch if officials cannot ensure visual inspection of all boats by trained personnel.

"The weeds are taking over the recreation, beauty and quality of the lake," said Jack Hill, of Ridge Road, who has lived on the lake for more than 40 years. "It is a special attribute to our community that has become a problem for all to enjoy and view with the downturn of its current condition."

While some comments on the online petition alluded to social problems the public launch has caused, including noise, harassment and invasion of privacy, most residents focused on protecting the waters from invaders such as water chestnuts and zebra mussels.

"The one thing we all agree on is the problem with invasive species," Webster said.